June 2011 The Leading Public Service Union
Conference Edition 2011
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End the killi A war has been raging in Colombia for over 50 years between the government and leftwing rebel groups. Every year thousands of civilians are killed – the vast majority of them by the Colombian military and the right-wing paramilitary death squads that work alongside them. The dreadful situation has also resulted in nearly 4 million people fleeing their homes. Although many people think that the Colombian war is all about drugs, in fact there were no drugs in Colombia when the war began in the 1950s. The roots of the conflict are extreme social and economic inequalities – over 65% of the population live in poverty.
A march of trade unionists and students on the way to the Plaza
People who speak out against the Colombian regime and the war become targets for the Colombian army, with the government often using the paramilitaries to carry out the most horrific and barbaric acts, including
Those who paid the ultimate price Jorge Ortega, a trade Union Leader’s last words: “I joined a trade union because I believe in fairness at work. I believe that people should be paid decent wages and be able to work decent hours. Yet when we in the trade union movement defend these principles, defend our jobs, our homes, our lives, they call us terrorists. In the end they may kill me, but I know that there are many others willing to take my place and continue our struggle.” Jorge Ortega, leader of the Colombian Trade Union Congress hours before he was assassinated in 1998.
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Alvaro Realpe, activist in the teachers trade union FECODE assassinated by paramilitaries
Alirio Martinez, regional leader of the agricultural workers’ trade union FENSUAGRO assassinated by the Colombian Army
Leonel Goyeneche, regional leader of the teachers’ trade union FECODE assassinated by the Colombian Army
Pedro Mosquera, activist in the agricultural workers’ trade union FENSUAGRO assassinated by paramilitaries
Jairo Vallejo, activist in the public sector workers’ union assassinated by paramilitaries
Edgar Burgos, activist in the transport workers’ trade union assassinated by the Colombian police
NO FREE TRADE WITH COLOMBIA
Aury Sar Marrugo leader o workers’ union US tortured by param
Ricardo Orozco regional leade of the health workers’ trade union ANTHOC assassinated b paramilitaries
ing, end the impunity massacres, rapes, torture, disappeared and targeted assassinations. 2009 celebrated the 60th Anniversary of the ILO Convention on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining, 1949 (No. 98). The right to collective bargaining is a vital instrument to further the full enjoyment of social, cultural and economic human rights, as it helps reduce inequalities, raise wages, and improve working and living conditions for all. The current financial crisis has shown us just how important it is to achieve these goals. Strengthening collective bargaining is an essential foundation for achieving them. The effective recognition of this 166 Colombian trade in the 21st century, fundamental right, however faces great challenges have been with globalisation, the erosionunionists of the employment relationship and the increase of precarious and informal employment. murdered since 2007 Fighting for freedom of association and collective bargaining,
fundamental workers rights, remains a difficult and at times very perilous task. The harassment, intimidation, persecution and in the worst cases murder of many trade unionists in Colombia and throughout the world bears witness to this. The murder, violence and harassment perpetrated against trade unionists underlines how the repression of social, cultural and economic rights is directly linked to civil and political oppression. Fundamental workers rights set out the rules for democracy and participation at the work place and underpin human rights and democracy rights in society as a whole. They must be protected and recognised as the fundamental human rights that they are. NIPSA remains committed to strengthening freedom of association and collective bargaining and the realisation of human rights for all and will continue to fight against this injustice.
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Listed below and overleaf are the names of 166 Trade Unionists who have been murdered since 2007 by the Colombian Army and various clandestine elements within the Colombian Government’s security apparatus 1 Daniel Ruiz Bedoya 09/01/07 Itagui, Antioquia SIGGINPEC 2 Jaime Vanegas Castellanos 14/01/07 Soledad, Atlantico ADEA 3 Maria Teresa Jesus Chicaiza Burbano 15/01/07 Ricuarte, Narino SIMANA 4 Francisco Leonel Bedoya Burgos 15/01/07 Ricuarte, Narino SIMANA 5 Arnoldo Enrique Campo Medina 29/01/07 Chiriguana, Cesar ADUCESAR 6 Luis Fabian Moreno Marin 01/02/07 Pereira, Risaralda SER 7 William Cabuyales Diaz 28/02/07 Cali, Valle del Cauca FERTRASUCCOL 8 Alcira Munoz Tapia 21/03/07 Popayan, Cauca ASOINCA 9 Maria Teresa Silva Reyes 28/03/07 Santander de Quilichao, Cauca ASOINCA 10 Juan Carlos Abuche 18/04/07 Fortul, Arauca FENSUAGRO 11 Jose Jaime Rojas 19/04/07 Bogota ADE 12 Dubian Barajas Carrillo 22/04/07 Fortul, Arauca ACA 13 Miguel Angel Macias Guaca 22/04/07 Caldono, Cauca ASOINCA 14 Victor Julio Benavides 26/04/07 Fortul, Arauca ACA 15 Luis Miguel Gomez Porto 03/05/07 Ovejas, Sucre SINDAGRICULTORES 16 Rafael Ramon Madrid Vega 11/05/07 Sahagun, Cordoba ADEMACOR 17 Ana Silvia Melo Rodriguez 19/05/07 Bogota SINDIMANUELA 18 Bernarda Zuniga Imbachi 21/05/07 Buenos Aires, Cauca ASOINCA 19 Genaro Potes 26/05/07 El Castillo, Meta SINTRAGRIM 20 Luis Alfonso Calderon Villamizar 09/06/07 Cucuta, Norte de Santander ASINORT 21 Marleny Berrio de Rodriguez 11/06/07 Florencia, Caqueta AICA 22 Julio Cesar Gomez Cano 23/06/07 Medellin, Antioquia ADIDA 23 Arnovis Ocoro Balanta 01/07/07 Popayan, Cauca SINTRAVIECALI 24 Hector Robledo Gonzalez 04/07/07 Cali, Valle del Cauca SINTRAZARZAL 25 Jesus Maria Villafane Millan 10/08/07 Palmira, Valle del Cauca SUTEV 26 Andres Escobar Escobar 10/08/07 Valledupar, Cesar ADUCESAR 27 Augusto Ramirez Atehortua 06/09/07 Medellin, Antioquia ADIDA 28 Simon Corena 10/09/07 Orito, Putumayo FENSUAGRO 29 Feliciano Obando 10/09/07 Orito, Putumayo FENSUAGRO 30 Gentil Yascuaran Pai 10/09/07 Orito, Putumayo FENSUAGRO 31 Jairo Alberto Valencia Correa 12/09/07 Medellin, Antioquia ADIDA 32 Rosalino Palacio Mosquera 19/09/07 Bello, Antioquia ADIDA 33 Luis Fernando Gomez Valencia 21/10/07 San Jose del Guaviare, Guaviare ADEG
34 Alexis Arango 31/10/07 Cali, Valle del Cauca SUTEV 35 Leonidas Silva Castro 02/11/07 Villacaro, Norte de Santander ASINORT 36 Jairo Giraldo Rey 03/11/07 Toro, Valle del Cauca SINALTRAIFRUT 37 Consuelo Mercedes Restrepo Campo 07/11/07 Cartago, Valle del Cauca SUTEV 38 Luis Alberto Torres Ochoa 07/11/07 La Dorada, Caldas EDUCAL 39 Jose Jesus Marin Vargas 22/11/07 Dosquebradas, Risaralda SINALTRAINAL 40 Mario Zuluaga 02/01/08 Medellin, Antioquia ASMEDAS 41 Miguel Andres Lopez 11/01/08 Leticia, Amazonas ASEINPEC 42 Israel Alfonso Perez Montes 11/01/08 Valledupar, Cesar SINTRAMIENERGETICA 43 Ramiro de Jesus Perez Zapata 12/01/08 San Jeronimo, Antioquia ADIDA 44 Israel Gonzalez 24/01/08 San Antonio, Tolima FENSUAGRO 45 Jose Suarez Leal 28/01/08 Itagui, Antioquia ASEINPEC 46 Jose Martin Duarte 02/02/08 Villavicencio, Meta SINTRAMBIENTE 47 Maria del Carmen Mesa Pasochoa 08/02/08 Tame, Arauca ASEDAR 48 Arley Benavidez Samboni 09/02/08 Balboa, Cauca ANTHOC 49 Maria Teresa Trujillo 09/02/08 Santander de Quilichao, Cauca ASOINCA 50 Jose Giraldo Mamian 09/02/08 La Vega, Cauca ASOINCA 51 Carmen Cecilia Carvajal Ramirez 04/03/08 San Jose de Cucuta, Norte de Santander ASINORT 52 Gildardo Antonio Gomez 07/03/08 Medellin, Antioquia ADIDA 53 Leonidas Gomez Rozo 08/03/08 Bogota UNEB 54 Miller Vaquero 09/03/08 Chaparral, Tolima FENSUAGRO 55 Carlos Burbano 12/03/08 San Vicente del Caguan, Caqueta ANTHOC 56 Victor Manual Munoz 12/03/08 Codazzi, Cesar ADUCESAR 57 Ignacio Andrade 15/03/08 Chaparral, Tolima FENSUAGRO 58 Manuel Antonio Jimenez 15/03/08 Puerto Asis, Putumayo FENSUAGRO 59 Jose Fernando Quiroz 16/03/08 Puerto Asis, Putumayo FENSUAGRO 60 Jose Gregorio Astros 18/03/08 Cartago, Valle del Cauca ASEINPEC 61 Julio Cesar Trochez 22/03/08 Sevilla, Valle del Cauca SUTEV 62 Adolfo Gonzalez Montes 22/03/08 Riohacha, La Guajira SINTRACARBON 63 Luz Mariela Diaz Lopez 01/04/08 Valle del Guamuez, Putumayo ASEP 64 Emerson Ivan Herrera 01/04/08 Valle del Guamuez, Putumayo ASEP 65 Rafael Antonio Leal Medina 04/04/08 Guayabal, Tolima AICA 66 Omar Ariza 07/04/08 Sevilla, Valle del Cauca SUTEV
continued overleaf
67 Luis Enrique Gutierrez 15/04/08 Tausa, Cundinamarca SINDESENA 68 Jesus Heberto Caballero Ariza 16/04/08 Barranquilla, Atlantico SINDESENA 69 Guillermo Rivera 22/04/08 Ibague, Tolima SINSERPUB 70 Tomas Alberto Chiquillo Pascuales 10/05/08 San Angel, Magdalena SINTRAPALMA 71 Luis Orlando Gelves 11/05/08 Nuevo Oriente, Arauca FENSUAGRO 72 Marcelo Vergara Sanchez 05/06/08 Buga, Valle del Cauca SUTEV 73 Omar Alexander Camacho Vasquez 06/06/08 Cucuta, Norte de Santander ASEINPEC 74 Favier Dario Pelaez Castano 13/06/08 Caicedonia, Valle del Cauca ASEINPEC 75 Walter Anibal Recalde Ordonez 19/06/08 Buga, Valle del Cauca ASEINPEC 76 Jose Humberto Munoz Guarin 22/06/08 Restrepo, Valle del Cauca SUTEV 77 Haly Martin Mendoza 09/07/08 San Jose de Cucuta, Norte de Santander ASINORT 78 Jesus Palomeque Valencia 05/08/08 San Jose de Cucuta, Norte de Santander ASINORT 79 Luis Mayusa Prada 08/08/08 Saravena, Arauca FENSUAGRO 80 Manuel Erminson Gamboa Melendez 13/08/08 Puerto Asis, Putumayo FENSUAGRO 81 Jose Omar Galeano Martinez 23/08/08 Buga, Valle del Cauca FECOLOC 82 Pablo Florez Barrera 24/08/08 Santa Marta, Magdalena SINTRAMIENERGETICA 83 Jesus Escorcia Cortes 24/08/08 Barranquilla, Atlantico SINTRAMIENERGETICA 84 Eliseo Vera Gonzalez 27/09/08 Muzo, Boyaca ASEINPEC85 Alvaro Antonio Guecha Morales 18/10/08 Muzo, Boyaca SINDIMAESTROS 86 Estiven Bastidas Jeferson 25/10/08 Puerto Leguizamo, Putumayo FENSUAGRO 87 Roberto Morales 13/11/08 La Union, Valle del Cauca SUTEV 88 William Rubio Ortiz 12/12/08 Santander De Quiichao, Cauca SINTRAMBIENTE 89 Adolfo Tique 01/01/09 Prado, Tolima SINTRAGRITOL 90 Diego Ricardo Rasedo Guerra 07/01/09 Sabana de Torres, Santander ASOGRAS 91 Arled Samboni Guaca 16/01/09 Argelia, Antioquia FENSUAGRO 92 Leovigildo Mejia 28/01/09 Sabana de Torres, Santander ASOGRAS 93 Luis Franklin Velez Figueroa 01/31/09 Quibdo, Choco SINTRAUNICOL 94 Luis Alberto Arango Crespo 12/02/09 Barrancabermeja, Santander ASOPESAM 95 Guillermo Antonio Ramirez Ramirez 15/02/09 Belen de Umbria, Risaralda SER 96 Ramiro Cuadros Roballo 24/03/09 Rio Frio, Valle del Cauca SUTEV 97 Alexander Pinto Gomez 24/03/09 Giron, Santander ASEINPEC 98 Jose Alejandro Amado Castillo 24/03/09 Giron, Santander ASEINPEC 99 Armando Carreno 27/03/09 Las Cruces, Arauca USO 100 Hernan Polo Barrera 04/04/09 Monteria, Cordoba SINTRENAL 101 Frank Mauricio Aguirre Aguirre 16/04/09 Itagui, Antioquia ASEMPI 102 Jorge Alberto Garcia 04/21/09 Santa Rosa de Cabal, Risaralda SER 103 Edgar Martinez 22/04/09 San Pablo, Bolivar FEDEAGROSIMBOL 104 Victor Franco Franco 22/04/09 Villamaria, Caldas EDUCAL 105 Milton Blanco Leguizamon 24/04/09 Tame, Arauca ASEDAR 106 Maria Rosabel Zapata 05/07/09 Cali, Valle SUTEV 107 Vilma Carcamo Blanco 09/05/09 Magangue, Bolivar ANTHOC 108 Julio Ramos Rigoberto 09/05/09 Monitos, Cordoba ADEMACOR 109 Herberth Sony Cardenas 15/05/09 Barrancabermeja, Santander ASODEMI 110 Pablo Rodriguez Garavito 09/06/09 Puerto Rondon, Arauca ASEDAR 111 Jorge Humberto Echeverri Garro 11/06/09 Arauquita, Arauca ASEDAR 112 Rafael Antonio Sepulveda Lara 20/06/09 San Jose de Cucuta, Norte de Santander ANTHOC 113 Herber Gonzalez Herrera 25/07/09 Sabana de Torres, Santander FENSUAGRO 114 Jacinto Herrera 07/26/09 Riohacha, Guajira ASODEGUA 115 Miguel Angel Guzman 08/06/09 Anserma, Caldas SER 116 Diego Cobo 11/08/09 San Andres de Sotavento ADEMACOR
117 Gustavo Gomez 21/08/09 Dos Quebradas, Risaralda SINALTRAINAL 118 Fredy Diaz Ortiz 22/08/09 Valledupar, Cesar ASEINPEC 119 Abel Carrasquilla 23/08/09 Sabana de Torres, Santander ASOGRAS 120 Oscar Eduardo Suarez Suescun 11/09/09 Cucuta, Norte de Santander ASINORT 121 Zuly Rojas 09/10/09 Saravena, Arauca SINDESS 122 Melendez Honorio Llorente 17/10/09 Puerto Wilches, Santander SINTRAINAGRO 123 Rafael Antonio Cantero Ceballas 27/10/09 Lorica, Cordoba ADEMACOR 124 Ivan Edgardo Tovar Murrillo 10/29/09 Ibague, Tolima SIMATOL 125 Ramiro Israel Montes Palencia 29/10/09 Montelibano, Cordoba ADEMACOR 126 Paulo Suarez 1/11/09 Saravena, Arauca FENSUAGRO 127 Raul Medina Diaz 05/11/09 Arauquita, Arauca FENSUAGRO 128 Apolinar Herrera 12/11/09 Arauquita, Arauca FENSUAGRO 129 Zorayda Cortes Lopez 13/11/09 Pereira, Risaralda SER 130 Fabio Sanchez 13/11/09 Saravena, Arauca FENSUAGRO 131 Fredy Fabian Martinez Castellanos 11/15/09 Chia, Cundinamarca ADE 132 Leny Yanube Rengifo Gomez 24/11/09 Popayan, Cauca ASOINCA 133 Manuel Alfonso Cuello Valenzuela 26/11/09 Magangue, Bolivar SUDEB 134 Alberto Jaimes Pabon 27/11/09 Saravena, Arauca FENSUAGRO 135 Norberto Garcia Quiceno 2/1/10 Trujillo, Valle SUTEV 136 Carlos Andres Cheiva 18/1/10 Leticia, Amazonas SUDEA 137 Jaime Fernando Bazante Guzman 19/1/10 Caloto, Cauca ASOINCA 138 Henry Saul Moya Moya 22/1/10 Rovira, Tolima ASTRACATOL 139 Overto Beltran Narvaez 28/01/10 San Antero, Cordoba ADEMACOR 140 Rigoberto Polo Contreras 3/02/10 Tuchin, Cordoba ADEMACOR 141 Omar Alonso Restrepo 10/02/10 Montecristo, Bolivar FEDEAGROMISBOL 142 Jose de Jesus Restrepo 10/02/10 Montecristo, Bolivar FEDEAGROMISBOL 143 Beatriz Alarcon 13/02/10 Sabaneta, Antioquia ADIDA 144 Francisco Ernesto Goyes salazar 12/03/10 Santa Cruz, Narino SIMANA 145 Israel Verona 17/03/10 Saravena, Arauca ACA 146 Rosendo Rojas Tovar 20/03/10 San Vicente del Caguan, Caqueta AICA 147 Gustavo Gil Sierra 20/03/10 Aranjuez, Antioquia ADIDA 148 Miyer Antonio Garces Rosero 26/03/10 Popayan, Cauca ASOINCA 149 Javier Cardenas Gil 1/04/10 La Tebaida, Quindio ASDABDQ 150 Henry Ramirez Daza 11/04/10 Ibague, Tolima SINTRABECOLICAS 151 Arnulfo Torres Sanchez 15/04/10 Itagui, Antioquia ADIDA 152 Francisco Valerio Orozco 16/04/10 Bajo Cauca, Antioquia ADIDA 153 Jose Isidro Rangel Avedano 19/04/10 Cartagena, Bolivar SNTT 154 Jorge Ivan Montoya Torrado 20/04/10 Cartegena, Bolivar SNTT 155 Elkin Eduardo Gonzalez 21/04/10 Tierralta, Cordoba ADEMACOR 156 Aliciades Gonzalez Castro 21/04/10 Tame, Arauca ACA 157 Diego Fernando Escobar Munera 22/04/10 Medellin, Antioquia ASONAL JUDICIAL 158 Benito Diaz Alvarez 25/04/10 San Bernardo Viento, Cordoba ADEMACOR 159 Javier Estrada Ovalle 27/04/10 Cali, Valle SUTEV 160 Fabain Franco Tigreros 4/05/10 Jamundi, Valle SINALSERPUB 161 Francisco Antonio Abello Rebollo 17/05/10 Pueblo Viejo, Magdalena SINTRAINAGRO 162 Leslien Torcoroma Penaranda Blanco 18/05/10 Abrego, Norte de Santander ASINORT 163 Martin Isaac Soto Niebles 30/05/10 Santa Marta, Magdalena SINTRAELECOL 164 Hernan Abdiel Ordo単ez Dorado 05/06/10 Cali, Valle ASEINPEC 165 Nelson Camacho Gonzalez 17/06/10 Barrancabermeja, Santander USO 166 Efren Caicedo Ibio 19/06/10 Caucasia, Antioquia ADIDA
Guest Speaker: Jorge Gamboa, CUT Colombia Jorge Gamboa is a member of the National Executive of the CUT trade union federation. Prior to being elected to the CUT Mr Gamboa led the Colombian oil workers trade union USO and, during 2007/8, he led the national campaign, which included large scale industrial action, against the proposed privatisation of the Colombian state oil company. Towards the end of that campaign, in April 2008, Mr Gamboa was speaking at an event for union members in the region of Santander when a group of police officers attempted to assassinate him. He has since been forced to travel with bodyguards and he is still one of the most threatened and high profile trade union leaders in Colombia.